Film Chat

There's been a lot of critical love for Logan, a final gritty outing for Hugh Jackman as everyone's favourite growly mutant. Film Chat, however, spends 15 minutes slating it because it features no references to the 1990s X-Men animated cartoon series. Where is Morph?? Danny also reviews Paul Verhoeven's Elle, which he describes repeatedly as "an electric piece of cinema" in an obvious and shameless attempt to get quoted on the poster. They've all been printed already, Danny! Plus, we try to talk over the ear-splitting gushing of the entire film industry at news of a potential Spielberg film starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep; we examine the IMDb's new feminist classification; and we unveil Hugh Jackman's extremely downbeat theme song for Logan.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Strap yourself in listeners because this bumper edition of Film Chat is longer than fucking Leonard Cohen song (R.I.P). This week Sam reviews two films which are adaptations of plays. First up is La La Land!...... Sorry I mean Fences, Denzel Washington's adaptation of the Pultizer prize winner play by August Wilson. Then he casts his discerning eye on La La Land! ....Sorry I mean It's Only The End Of The World, the latest film by director and child, Xavier Dolan. Meanwhile Danny continues his quest to watch every film with the word "women" in the title by reviewing Kelly Reichardt's latest film La La Land! No wait that's wrong what I meant to type was Certain Woman. We also dissect the Oscars in forensic detail, report on the casting for Yorgos Lanthimos' latest film and learn everything there is to know about the film watching habits of US Presidents.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A veritable bevy of reviews this time! Danny delves into 20th Century Women, director Mike Mills' tribute to his mother and sisters, and music documentary We Are X, which charts the terrifying lows, dizzying highs, and creamy middles of Japan's foremost prog metal band. Sam just wanted to see a dude shoot some dudes, so he went to check out hip thriller sequel John Wick: Chapter 2. Plus! We chat about the Oscars, in a discussion that's going to seem pretty darn irrelevant if you listen to this episode after today, we get excited for the return of still-alive Dick Van Dyke to the world of Mary Poppins, and we try rather unsuccessfully to talk dirty with a robot Christian Grey.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we review Taxi Driver the classic film about the iconic loner, Travis Bickle. Then we review what would quite possibly be Travis Bickle's least favourite film, the universally acclaimed Moonlight. We also try and get our heads round the news of the Toni Erdmann remake, confess our weird movie crushes and examine the filmography of one of modern cinema's greatest storytellers, Steve Bannon.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we review Alice Lowe's revenge thriller Prevenge and declare pregnancy to be "weird", and Sam tries to say smart things about Kirsten Johnson's "woman with a movie camera" documentary Cameraperson. We also wonder what esoteric collection of objects Mica Levi will use for her next film score, get excited about the prospect of a David Bowie art-crime musical, and suggest some killer lines for Stephen Fry to use at tonight's BAFTA ceremony.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's episode Danny catches up with T2:Trainspotting the belated sequel to the era defining classic. Did the film make him as angry as Begbie? As regretful as Spud? Or as happy as... err actually everyone is a bit miserable in the film. Then he and Sam join forces to review festival darling Toni Erdmann. I don't want to pre-empt the review but lets just say it's one of the best 2hr 40min Germany comedies of the year.....so far. PLUS we wonder whether Michael Bay is man to take down Trump through the power of cinema, speculate about a remake of Any Which Way But Loose and debut an exclusive musical preview of Liam Neeson's latest angry-old-man-killing-machine movie.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The relentlessly upbeat Film Chat duo dive headfirst into some of the doomiest and gloomiest films currently on release. Rebecca Hall plays a depressed newsreader in Christine, Casey Affleck an unhappy janitor in Manchester By The Sea, and Natalie Portman a grieving First Lady in Jackie. Everyone is having a tough time of it -- except for cinema-goers of course, as all these films are good. PLUS! We take a look at the Academy Award nominations and decide that #OscarsStillTooWhite, a long-delayed message brings us news of the world's first YouTube-only documentary, and Shia LaBoeuf offers his thoughts on Nazi-punching.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Featuring La La Land, a film for which its star Ryan Gosling spent months learning Jazz piano and Lion, a film for which its star Dev Patel spent months growing a beard. We also examine whether using cutting age CGI to de age De Niro for an upcoming film is a bad idea or a really bad idea, postulate which film would be best to show a football team before a match and pitch a radical hard sci-fi take on What Women Want.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Happy New Year folks!! Brimming with optimism for the year ahead, we skip and gambol our way through a chortlesome review of Martin Scorsese's Catholic torture drama Silence, a 2.5 hour meditation on suffering and isolation that left us both with a spring in our steps. Also! One of Sam's old reviews gets a subtle makeover, we ask what the hell is wrong with Ryan Gosling, and Danny grills Sam with an Obama-themed film quiz.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the Film Chat Christmas special!! Third time round and it's already widely considered a seasonal staple, as essential as Ray Winstone’s Televised Eggnog Festival. AND it's an extra special special this year as it coincides with our 100th episode, a major milestone and a testament to our dedication to the sounds of our own voices. Armed with mince pies and cava, we look back over the year, discuss our listeners’ faves and worsties, hear from some legendary directors, and attempt some quickfire reviewing. We also face Katie's most fiendish festive film quiz yet, a gauntlet of Christmassy questions daunting enough to send grown podcasters into a spiral of mild bickering.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever asked yourself any of the following questions: 1. What are better X-Wings or the wings of an eagle? 2. What is more exciting, watching a 13 year old girl steal a baby eagle from a nest on mountainside or watching a fully grown woman steal the plans to the death star? 3. What is a cooler name, Jyn Erso or Aishol-pan? 4. What is a better film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or The Eagle Huntress ( A documentary about the 1st female eagle hunter)? If the answer to any those was yes, then this is the episode for you! Plus we tell you about the must see faith based film coming to screens in 2017, wonder what is the worse thing a man can do and still sustain a career in hollywood and examine the convoluted naming conventions of The Fast and Furious franchise.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we review a pair of movies about race, violence and oppression in America — its history in the case of Nate Parker’s rousing historical epic The Birth of a Nation, and its legacy in the case of Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq, equal parts bawdy battle of the sexes and anguished cry for peace. Plus Danny lets us know what he made of Snowden, Oliver Stone’s Hollywoodified recounting of the adventures of swashbuckling dork Edward Snowden. With the help of Film Chat pal Dougal MacQueen, we also discuss whether the name of Bad Santa’s director is an anti-Trump rallying cry, we recoil in horror at the revelations about the making of Last Tango In Paris, and we listen to Richard E Grant tell us all about his perfume.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's a a diverse week on film chat as we discuss 3 films of disparate genres, tones, languages and quality. Firstly Danny reviews A United Kingdom a film which indulges David Oyelowo's two favourite pastimes, namely; giving inspiring speeches and crying. Coincidentally watching the film allowed Danny's to indulge in two of his favourite past times, namely; watching films and talking about them at length. Then they both review The Wailing a Korean horror film which generated numerous reactions from them, namely: the laughing, the crying and the being scared shitless. Any finally Danny reviews the new film by the Dardenne Brothers, namely. The Unknown Girl. PLUS a discussion of a upcoming Houdini biopic, we wonder what Borat would do in 2016 and an exclusive interview with two luminaries of the Belgium art house scene.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Harry Potter is back! At least, in franchise form. JK Rowling and director David Yates have extended the cinematic Potterverse by just a smidge with Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, a Hogwarts textbook turned glittering 1920s-set romp. Sam's review will help you decide whether its mix of jolly magical critters, delightfully stereotypical culture clashes, and Nazi analogues is for you. Danny also reviews Paterson, in which rising star Adam Driver fully embraces the spirit of nominative determinism by playing a damn driver - a bus driver, to be exact. The unhurried, reflective film has set critics raving, but features no wizards or dragons. If Jim Jarmusch is hoping to launch a 15-film extended universe franchise with this, well, all we can say is good luck mate. Also! We discuss listener suggestions to improve classic films, for example making 12 Angry Men's 12 men angrier and Jaws friendlier to sharks; we look forward to Adam McKay teaching us a thing or two about Dick with his upcoming Cheney biopi

This week we review two zoological themed films involving death, betrayal and men of varying attractiveness. First of Danny reviews Paul Schrader's Dog Eat Dog, a crime film in which Nicholas Cage and Willem Dafoe compete to see who can look more haggard and wearing. Then Sam reviews Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals in which sexy people look sexy while dressed sexily. I hear it's pretty sexy. Plus we discuss the comic book reboot we're all champing at the bit to see and have an exclusive interview with French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we review Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi head-scratcher Arrival, in which humanity is thrown into a tizzy by the sudden appearance of twelve massive, featureless grey shells with aliens inside them. The film acts as a timely plea for global cooperation, although in light of recent events we spent most of it wishing the shells would spray some kind of deadly virus into our atmosphere and put us all out of our misery. Meanwhile, Danny recalls a time of classier would-be tyrants as he reviews Abel Gance's 1927 silent epic Napoleon. It charts the rise of a charismatic man of the people with an unwavering commitment to the revolution, all his own hair, and normal-sized hands over five and a half hours of pure utopian escapism. We also talk about Al Capone's nicknames, Michael Stipe's resemblance to a serial killer, Shia LaBeouf's rapping ability, and one of cinema's greatest elephant sex scenes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode Sam reviews Doctor Strange, the latest offering from Marvel in which Benedict Cumberbatch plays a man with a PHD in kicking ass and traversing the astral plane. Meanwhile Danny fills us in on two new release which he originally saw at the London Film Festival. The disarmingly sincere Ethel and Ernest (he went in scornful, he came out tearful) and Werner Herzogs latest doc Lo and Behold, which sees the German Auteur successfully interviewing people weirder than him. Plus they wonder if there has ever been a more creatively daring premise than the one behind the upcoming animation The Boss Baby, lament how Hollywood sexism is preventing us from getting more Hilary Swank films and learn about the role Ice Cube was born to play.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What would you rather see, Jeremy Corbyn's favourite film or Ian Duncan Smith's least favourite film? Don't worry you don't have to choose you just have to go see I, Daniel Blake - Ken Loach's brilliant, powerful film about the failures of the welfare state. We spent most of the review just crying and applauding, but apparently Katie's edited that out and just kept the bits where we talked. Meanwhile, Danny reviews Queen of Katwe, the Ugandan set drama starring Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo. If you like chess, poverty and inspiration (and why wouldn't you) then this is the movie for you. PLUS we discuss YouTube's plans to muscle in on the TV market, examine the new Star Wars: Rogue One trailer in absurd depths, and wonder whether Danny Elfman is a racist.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Danny learns that being young in America can be a profound, thrilling, dangerous, heartbreaking and uplifting experience if Andrea Arnold's latest film American Honey is anything to go by. While Sam learns that being Black in America sucks if Ava Duvernay's documentary 13th is anything to go by. They also discuss the latest Disney Animations that are being prepped for live action remakes. (Perhaps they could do a live action version of Oliver and Company where they're victorian urchins instead of dogs? Just a thought.) And Danny gives the latest lowdown on everything that's been happening at the London Film Festival and tells you which upcoming films are total pantyhose.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we review a film in which Daniel Radcliffe plays a magical corpse that farts and gets boners — no, not “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” but the whimsical philosophical comedy Swiss Army Man. Danny also tells us many fun Brian De Palma facts he learned watching the eponymous documentary directed by Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow. Did you know Brian loves the smell of acorns? Interesting. Plus, we reaffirm our performative wokeness with a discussion about Tim Burton, Star Wars, and diversity; Danny goes on and on about all the brilliant films he is seeing at the London Film Festival that Sam isn't; and we follow in Swiss Army Man’s footsteps by finding poetry in flatulence.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.